Short answer. Not automatically. Article 1734 of the Civil Code exempts common carriers from liability when loss is caused by a natural disaster or calamity such as a typhoon — but the exemption is not absolute. The carrier must show it exercised due diligence and the storm was the sole cause of the loss.
What the law says
Flood, storm, earthquake, lightning, or other natural disaster or calamity
Civil Code, Article 1734 — The Five Exempting Causes for Common Carriers. Read the full provision →
The general rule: carriers are responsible
Common carriers — shipping lines, trucking companies, airlines — accept goods with a duty to deliver them safely. Article 1734 opens with the principle that carriers are responsible for the loss, destruction, or deterioration of goods entrusted to them. This responsibility is high: common carriers are held to extraordinary diligence, which is a stricter standard than the ordinary care required of most contracting parties.
The five causes that can excuse a carrier
Article 1734 lists exactly five causes that can break the carrier's liability. A typhoon falls under the first: flood, storm, earthquake, lightning, or other natural disaster or calamity. The other four involve an enemy act in war, the shipper's own fault, defects in the goods or their packing, and orders from competent public authority. These are the only grounds — a carrier that invokes some other reason outside this list is not protected by Article 1734.
Why the typhoon defense can still fail
Pointing to a typhoon is the starting point, not the finish line. The carrier must show that the natural disaster was the sole, proximate cause of the loss and that it exercised the extraordinary diligence required of it before and during the voyage. If the vessel was unseaworthy, if the captain ignored storm warnings, or if the goods were improperly stowed before the weather turned, those facts can defeat the defense. The storm explains the sinking; negligence before the storm can still make the carrier liable.
What you need to establish your claim
Gather the bill of lading, which is the contract and receipt for your goods. Obtain weather records or advisories showing the severity of the typhoon at the relevant time and place. Look for voyage records, port clearances, or any reports that speak to the vessel's seaworthiness or the crew's response. If the carrier knew a severe storm was coming and sailed anyway without adequate precautions, that prior decision weakens any defense based purely on the storm itself.
Practical next step
File a formal claim with the carrier in writing as soon as the loss is confirmed — delay can affect your rights under the bill of lading or applicable regulations. Keep all documentary proof of the goods' value and the circumstances of the loss. Whether the carrier's natural-disaster defense holds depends on the specific facts of the voyage and the carrier's conduct, so legal advice tailored to those facts will determine how strong your position actually is.